A Puma Named Blinka

 My first encounter with Blinka was several years ago when I traveled to Patagonia to photograph a female puma with four small cubs. This was the time that my guide had sent me an email saying that the puma they call “Rupuestre” was bringing her 7-week-old cubs out of the den and that BBC was filming it. 

On one of our outings, we hiked up quite a distance looking for Rupuestre, but she was nowhere to be found. However, that was the day that I first saw Blinka. My friend and I had followed her up and around a mountain and back down to the shoreline as she covered a lot of ground looking for food. Our guides say Blinka was around 3 months old when she lost her right eye. She is also missing a fang on her blindside. It is remarkable that she has been able to hunt and to provide food for herself and also for her reputed four litters. 

Currently, she has two cubs approximately 9 months old. They are all well fed and at 6 years old Blinka remains a force to be reckoned with. In one of the documentary films, it shows Blinka fighting Rupuestre and Blinka clearly won the fight. 

My group and I watched Blinka tenderly care and look after her cubs. She even shared a meal with another puma’s younger cubs. During this sharing time Blinka gently licked one of those young cubs in a caring way; it was heartwarming to watch. 

I now feel a special bond with Blinka as I’ve gotten to know her a bit. She is a strong cat and a fighter who has overcome tremendous adversities. I wish her well in the next half of her life. I hope to see her on a mountain in Patagonia with another litter of cubs in the near future.

Blinka with her large, male cub. She adored this cub.

Blinka and her cub.

Namibia Trip Report

I just returned home from Namibia. It was a great trip, and I enjoyed my time there with my clients very much. The trip home started off with glitches and frustration but ended with me in an upgraded seat with the entire row to myself. I was able to get lots of work done and finish up editing some of my photos.

While in transit, I learned that my grandson Jaxson (the one with cp) had fallen on his street outside his home and did some real damage. It turned out he fell in a pothole with his walker. He broke his shoulder, chipped his growth plate, cracked his two front teeth-with one being completely shattered. Multiple stitches under his chin, bruises, and a black eye. I was and am totally sick to my stomach… the kid is so innocent, and he has never caught a break.

An elderly woman in the bank saw me crying on my way out and asked what was wrong. That was when I had just learned that Jaxson’s orthopedic doctor confirmed that his shoulder was broken. I told her about Jaxson, she put it in perspective, she said, “at least he is still here with you.” I thought about what she had said, and she is right, he will mend, and we still have him to hug and hold. It was then that my pity party was over. BUT I am still hurt that he has to endure any more pain and suffering.

I am leaving for Patagonia on Sunday; it is a fast turnaround, but I have to work hard until all of the postponed trips are completed. This means a lot of overlap for everyone. Still, I am excited to see my friends in Patagonia and to have another chance with the beautiful pumas that live there. Not to mention that majestic mountain scapes!

Back to my Namibia trip report…Our trip started in Windhoek where we stayed in a friendly, quiet lodge off the beaten path that we have been going to since I first started visiting Namibia.

Our first photo shoot was at the Quiver Tree Forest followed by the ghost town in Luderitz. See my past two blog posts to read my thoughts about that portion of the trip and see a few images.

Next, we headed to Swakopmund, which is a city on the coast of western Namibia. In Swakopmund we photographed desert creatures that live in the large dunes near the ocean. Flamingos feeding at the shoreline and the salt flats found along the shore. We also take a boat tour customized for us to photograph the sea lions, pelicans, cormorants, whales, and dolphin, etc.… After we spent our time in Swakopmund in a nice beach front hotel with scrumptious dinners (with hot lava cakes for dessert) at local restaurants we headed to Etosha. There we stay in basic huts near the famous watering hole at Okaukuejo. There we were able to see and photograph rhino’s, giraffe and many other animals that come in at night to drink from the watering hole.

We made lots of stops along the way and enjoyed seeing so much of Namibia. I am sharing a few of my favorite shots below.

Just as the sun began to set the colors became so intense. You can see a few stars starting to show up. I love this tree-we call it Devil’s Fork.

I photographed the Milky Way from the back porch at my lodge and added it to a tree image. Not the exact same tree image as above but taken around the same time.

The dunes never disappoint, depending on the time of day the colors can be so striking.

We had a magical night with these Oryx as the entire herd walked past us to stand in front of these dunes-as if we had directed them! I’ll share my favorite dune/Oryx shat once I have had time to process it.

Our first night photographing the dunes, it was quite windy. I concentrated on photographing the dust and sand as it swirled and lifted across the dunes.

I wish that the bottom row of grasses were a bit sharper but I liked the way the sand was saltating over the top of the dune.

Patterns, patterns, patterns. I could not get enough of them!

The Flamingos at Swakopmund.

More Flamingos at Swakopmund, slow shutter speed close-up.

A flock of Red-billed Quelea. I liked how the trees showed through.

Drinking Red-billed Quelea.

Backlit Blue Wildebeest in Etosha.

Backlighting can make a drab scene look interesting. Etosha

Kolmanskop

On our second leg of my Namibia photo tour we stopped at Kolmanskop which is an abandoned, sand covered, ghost town. But it is really a National Park in southern Africa’s Namib desert.
I’ve been here several times but many of my guests were seeing it for the first time. It is an incredible time capsule with a rich history.
Within a span of 40 years the town of Kolmanskop opened, flourished and was left behind to succumb to the elements. Once a diamond mining town that held hopes and dreams for many settlers, now stands as a broken memory enveloped in sand.
Today, visitors can see how the extreme winds forced sand into the small town causing drifts up to 10 feet or more in some areas. There are many remnants of earlier years as tattered wall paper still adorns some of the walls. Bathtubs can be found sporadically throughout the empty buildings and streets.
The sand knows no boundaries as it continues to invade doorways, windowsills and just about every inch within each dwelling. Peeling and chipping paint is everywhere. Broken glass and floorboards are commonplace.
Photographers can find lots of interesting compositions, as just about every square inch holds a story waiting to be told. It’s best to do a morning and afternoon shoot there; as the light changes and so do the photo opportunities. There are a plethora of images to be created in this tiny gem of a place.
Below are two of my creative images from the ghost town. The first one is a long exposure shot of our Namibian guides walking through the doors and meeting in the hospital corridor. The second is a post processing blur that I created in Photoshop by adding some blur to the hallway and rooms just for fun. At the top of the page is one of the most iconic Kolmanskop shots. It’s a doorway within a doorway with a tilted door. Photographing it at just the right time for the light to illuminate the door. I plan to share more but I have so many images to go through at this point!

Two of our Namibian guides in the hospital at Kolmanskop.

Quiver Tree Forest

When we arrived at the Quiver Tree Forest, we were fortunate to have some cloud coverage. Usually on our visits we end up having blue skies and zero clouds. This time the conditions were fantastic. As the sun began to set, lightening lit up portions of the sky; the splashes of light added a nice addition to the photos. 

As we left the Quiver Tree Forest the sky was stormy, and it looked like we were going to be shut out of our night sky photo shoot. But after dinner the clouds started to clear out and we went back to the forest for some Milky Way photography. We ended up having a terrific time and had lots of photo opps. 

A few of my favorite this year from Quiver Tree...

A fallen Quiver tree

Some clouds added a nice touch to the night sky. The orange was enhanced by leaving my camera set to cloudy white balance.

A high-key close-up of a Quiver Tree, one of my favorites shots.

A touch of lightening lit up the right hand side.

Italian Dolomites ~ October, 2022

October 17-24, 2022. To sign up CLICK HERE.

I have a couple of spots available—-Come join me for an 8 day photo tour of the Italian Dolomites. Autumn is a great time to visit this captivating location as the scenes explode with rich color. During this tour we will visit the Drei Zinnen, Lago di Braies, Alpi di Siusi, Langkofel, Lago Imides, the St. Johann Church, Passo Rolle, Cinque Torri and many more – including some hidden gems! We will stay in wonderful hotels where we can relax between our photography sessions. The physical difficulty level is listed as easy. There are a couple of mild hikes but most locations are near the road.

Day 1: 

My guides and I will pick you up at the Munich Airport (MUC) no later than 12:00noon. Our four hour drive to the Dolomites will have us driving through three countries. We will arrive at our first hotel, in the charming village of Cortina. This will be our home for the first 2 nights.

From here we will hike for about 30 minutes to our first sunset location. This location offers an incredible view over the Drei Zinnen. We then do a quick dinner at a local pizzeria before heading up the mountain to shoot the night sky if the skies are clear.

Day 2: 

We get up early and drive to the amazing Lago di Braies. This calm and easy to reach lake is a must for everyone visiting the Dolomites. After an early morning photo shoot we’ll head back to our hotel for breakfast. During the day we will go for a driving tour. For sunset we will either shoot at Lago Limedes or Cinque Torri. The conditions will decide.

Day 3-4: 

Passo Giau is our sunrise spot. An amazing mountain pass with incredible views. Now it’s time to move to the area around Passo Rolle.  In this area we have views of one of the most impressive walls in Europe. This is also one of the few places where we can combine a river with the mountains. We will stay in this valley for sunset and hopefully the night sky.

Day 5-6: 

Sunrise will take place at a small lake with amazing reflections. After which we will move towards Ortisei, our basecamp for the last 2 nights. We will make a stop at Lago Castrozza, a green lake surrounded by sharp mountains.
Our hotel in Ortisei is a luxurious spa hotel, with swimming pool and everything we need to stay comfortable. Sunset will take place at Alpe di Siusi, easily one of the most stunning mountain locations in the world.

Day 7: 

During sunrise we return to the plateau of Alpi di Siusi, which is the largest high altitiude Alpine meadow in Europe and considered by many as one of the best sunrise locations in the Alps. The morning often provides a thin layer of fog on the meadows, which is of course incredible for photography. After sunrise we continue towards the village of Santa Magdalena, where the famous St. Johann church is waiting for us with the impressive Odle mountains rising 3000 meters behind it.  

Day 8: 

After breakfast it is time to drive everyone to the Munich Airport (MUC).

Included

·       Professional photo guides

·       All group transfers and transportation during the workshop.

·       Accommodations

Not Included

·       International flights

·       Travel insurance

·       All Meals and beverages.

Cost: US$5850 per person (double occupancy)

Single supplement cost US$900.

Participants: 10

Trip insurance is highly recommended for all trips. A detailed file will be sent to all participants once we get our entire group together. Please do not purchase airfare until I let you know that the trip is a go.

*Itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions and weather. All images supplied to me by my guides. I have not been to the Dolomites but I have worked with these professional guides before and they are both multi-award winning photographers as well as top notch guides.